Taiwan
Basics The country has these 4 GSM-based providers which are listed below, along with their Chinese and brand names * Chunghwa Telecom (Emome) 中華電信 * Taiwan Mobile (myfone) 台灣大哥大 * FarEasTone 遠傳電信 * T Star 台灣之星 All of the above 4 companies offer prepaid SIM Card options that are easily accessible to visitors of Taiwan. A fifth operator was based on CDMA technology that was closed down in 2017 and they have switched over to 4G/LTE: * APTG (Asia Pacific Telecom, GT Mobile) 亞太電信 The most popular MVNO is called ibon mobile '''and featured on the list. The Carrefour supermarket chain also offers an own SIM card as well, but for voice-only without data. Therefore it's not mentioned. '''3G shutdown and 4G phone compatibility The Taiwan government announced the expiration of 3G spectrum licenses. All five carriers in Taiwan have formally unveiled plans to shut down their 3G network by the end of 2018 when their 3G licenses expire. As of 2019, 3G may still be in operation for some period but the carriers say that they will shut it down when the government orders them to do so. Therefore, visitors will need to make sure their phone is 4G/LTE compatible with Taiwan carriers' networks. For 4G voice calling, compatibility requires not only a matching frequency band but also the matching enablement settings in your phone for the carrier's network. The carrier-specific enablement settings are either factory-installed in the phone or can be installed via a software update (which may or may not be available for a given phone). Although some carriers claim to support certain brands/models of phones for 4G voice calling (here is Chunghwa Telecom's list), they do not guarantee that any phones purchased outside Taiwan will work or that the necessary software update will be provided. While the 3G network is still in operation, fallback to 3G for voice calling may still work (if the handset has a matching 3G frequency band), but after 3G is shut down, if you are not sure your handset is set up to work with any of Taiwan's carriers, it may be best to have a VoIP option ready. Coverage and speed There is no more 2G since summer of 2017. 3G on 2100 MHz in up to DC-HSPA will be closed by end-2018 and there is only 4G/LTE left started in 2014 on all networks and now on 700 (B28), 900 (B8), 1800 (B3) and 2600 MHz (B7). 5G networks are about to start in 2019. According to OpenSignal's Report on the State of the Networks from July 2018, average speeds in Taiwan are quite high at an average 20-30 Mbit/s. Chungwha and FarEastTone topped the list with 30 Mbit/s to be followed by Taiwan Mobile and T Star. In 4G availability the results were also quite good: this time APTG and Taiwan Mobile were in front with more than 90%, but others only slightly behind. Availability SIM cards are readily available for visitors in Taiwan, but having the proper identification is a must. To save time and avoid hassle, purchasing your prepaid SIM prior to leaving the airport can be recommended. The country boasts many free or payable WiFi options too. However, these should not be relied on as speeds are quite slow and most public WiFi agreement policies cite only light usage such as checking email, viewing websites etc. as well as some operate only during business hours of government buildings. WiFi options are explained in further detail at the bottom the article. Upon arrival in Taiwan you can choose to purchase a prepaid SIM card using these methods. Purchasing at airports: '''There are kiosks located inside the terminals of both airports of all the major providers, that sell the tourist SIM cards. The cards are exclusively for tourists and at a slightly lower price then in the city, include more data and as well their WiFi access which provides many hotspots throughout the city for the duration of your purchased SIM cards validity. The only identification required for these is your passport. * at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE): kiosks are located in both arrival and departure levels. Hours of operation: 8am - 10pm, daily. * at Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA): kiosks are located in terminal 1 at international arrivals. Hours of operation: 6am - 10pm, daily. '''Purchasing in the city: '''You can go to any of the provider stores in town to purchase a prepaid SIM card for regular prices. The difference with this option is that all operators except for Taiwan Mobile will require you to show a secondary piece of identification e.g. a drivers license and have to sign forms. Please note that in stores in the city employees are less likely to speak English as the staff at the airport. Unlike the SIM cards purchased at the airport however, those you buy in a store can be reloaded and the expiry date extended indefinitely as long as the period of time between recharges doesn't exceed six months. Bear also in mind that Taiwanese telecom regulations only allow one phone-number per person to be active at the same time. If you need to be able to check the status of your SIM when abroad, then choose Taiwan Mobile- it is the only Taiwanese provider that offers international roaming on prepaid, but you must purchase a standard prepaid plan, not an airport visitor plan. '''Service Taiwan is still one of the few countries that offers "real" unlimited internet. Rates are amongst the lowest in the world and networks are fast and efficient, although slower speeds may be noticed at peak times. No restrictions on website access such as the firewall in mainland China are imposed. Tethering is also allowed on plans as well. Furthermore, free public WiFi networks included in the purchase of airport SIMs also provide additional online access, but users should be advised that the networks can be laggy and quite slow at times. These give unlimited rates for short-time users and may be a better deal for some. Also please take care as they are public WiFi hotspots and when using better add some protection like encryption or VPN to safeguard sensitive data. Emome '''(by Chunghwa Telecom) Chunghwa Telecom is the largest telecommunications provider in the country dominating the market with an estimated 10.8 million subscribers as of 2016. Their mobile products are marketed under the brand name ''Emome''. '''Availability Their prepaid SIM called Ideal Card must be initially purchased either at Chunghwa Telecom shops located throughout the city or at the kiosks located in the airports with different plans for visitors only. Recharges There are several ways to recharge your Ideal card either by choosing to purchase "Data volume" or topping up by set NT$. Recharges can be done using the following methods: * via convenience stores 'like FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, Ok Mart: if your Chinese ability is limited and you are not able to use the computer terminals in store, you can ask one of the clerks and just show them the providers name in Chinese written above. For those who can read Chinese you will be able to select the data volume or top-up funds via 7-Elevens's iBon machine or Familymarts "Familyport". Upon selecting the desired voucher the terminal will print a receipt which you then bring to the cashier and they will charge you the amount and either give you a receipt with a voucher number included, or if you selected the automatic option via the terminal the recharge will process in less than 5 minutes and send a text to your phone that the recharge has been successful. * '''at Chunghwa stores: t'he same applies for the previous option just show them the Chinese for Ideal card, if they don't already speak English and they should help you. * '''on the Emome website: '''you can purchase the vouchers on the ideal card website as well and pay using credit card or Line pay. Their tutorial is quite easy to navigate if you make use of a translator tool: https://www.idealcard.com.tw/ * '''by voucher code: l'''ocate the 12-digit voucher number of the receipt, dial 928 from your handset, or 0800-080-928 from another phone and follow the voice instructions to recharge your SIM card. If you purchase a data amount instead of a monetary amount, you won't need to actually follow the process of dialing 539 and 928, rather once you pay for the data volume, you will receive a text confirming that your purchase has been registered with your account and that the data volume has been confirmed. If you choose to purchase a monetary value to add to the account, you will have to locate the code on the receipt and dial 928, and key in the voucher number. Then call 539 and select what plan you want to subscribe too. If your card balance is less than NT$ 60, or the expiration date is less than 15 days, you will receive a warning prompt every time a non-toll free outgoing call is made (the call will not be disrupted.) If the remaining airtime of your card remains only 20 seconds during an outgoing call, you will hear a series warning beeps so that steps can be taken to end the call gracefully. To check your balance and expiry date, you can also dial 928 on your handset. Their SIM card is sold at NT$ 300 with the same credit preloaded, but no data allowance. Default rate for is NT$0.05 per KB. '''4G/LTE plans They sell different 4G/LTE starter packs: * NT$ 300: including NT$ 120 credit, 1.2 GB and 100 SMS * NT$ 500: including NT$ 200 credit, 2.2 GB and 250 SMS * NT$ 1000: 8 GB Default rate for 4G data is NT$ 0.001 per KB. These Data Volume Plans can be added: * 1 GB for 60 days: NT$ 180 * 2.2 GB for 60 days: NT$ 300 * 5 GB for 120 days: NT$ 699 * 8 GB for 180 days: NT$ 1000 To activate, dial 539 free of charge. It usually takes around 15 minutes to activate the service. However, the actual time should be based on system setting. The subscriber will receive an SMS for service activation and termination information. If data connection is being used at that time, the device shall be turned off. Restart your device to enjoy the special rate under this service. You will receive SMS before (around one hour before termination of plan) and after termination of the plan. The system will send out SMS notification when the service is about to expire, and automatically cut-off data connection once service expires. If subscribers purchase the data by volume bundle again before the service expires or the allowance is used up, the expiry period will be extended immediately for another 60 days. Airport Plans The following unlimited data 4G/LTE SIM packages are available at airports including Taipei Taoyuan Airport. They may be available in some other service centers too (list of stores for these plans). These packages can't be renewed or extended (though this is disputed by some users): One day is for full 24 hours. For IDD calls reduced rates are given through the 019 prefix. This prefix has to be dialed before the country code. To connect to 50,000 hotspots of Chungwha WiFi on an iPhone you need to download this profile and for Android your device needs to support EAP-SIM verification. WeChat Go If you don't need so much data, Chungwha also offers their new WeChat Go SIM card at the airport and some shops. It's co-branded with the messenger WeChat and aimed at tourists: * NT$ 250: including NT$ 100 airtime credit, 1 GB data and 205 MB for WeChat. You can top-up for more data, but you can't extend its lifecycle of max. 16 days. More info * APN: emome /or/ internet * Website in English: http://www.emome.net/channel?chid=251 * 4G plans: https://prepaidsim.twgate.net/index.html?lang=en Taiwan Mobile '(myfone) Taiwan Mobile is the 2nd provider in the country. It has good coverage and speeds. They market their products under the brand of “'myfone” too. Availability ''' You can get their prepaid starter packs at many stores like in their own “myfone Stores” List: Service Locations . 4G/LTE prepaid SIM (starting at NT$ 300) is the most common and heavily promoted option. Once you arrive at Taoyuan Airport, exit the arriving hall to your left side and you will see the Taiwan Mobile Service Center at this side of the hall. The airport store has limited hours from 8am- midnight (Taoyuan International Airport), 8am - 9pm (Kaohsiung International Airport). Even if you arrive late, there are many myfone stores at tourist spots as in Taipei Main Station, Shihlin Night Market, Ximending Plaza and Taipei Vieshow Plaza. Passport is the only required ID needed to purchase the SIM from official outlets; a 2nd form of ID is no longer asked. '''Recharges Recharge vouchers of NT$ 300, 600 or 1000 are available at all major convenience stores throughout Taiwan, Taoyuan Airport myfone Service Center and TWM myfone outlets. Dial *101*2*VOUCHER# to top-up. You can also recharge online. Visit their English TopUp Website and enter the phone number and your passport ID. If you have problems logging in with your passport ID, try to change the letter '0' with 'O' and/or vice versa. The validity of your card is extended by another 180 days. Check balance: dial *867#. Check data balance: dial *867*100# 4G Plans According to reports their 4G plans are the only prepaid SIM cards now sold at retail stores. They have four different starters available. * NT$ 300: 1.2 GB data for 60 days, NT$ 2000 free intranet calls for 30 days, NT$ 100 credit * NT$ 300: unlimited data for 3 days, NT$ 300 credit * NT$ 500: 2.2 GB data for 60 days, NT$ 2000 free intranet calls for 30 days, NT$ 195 credit * NT$ 1000: 8 GB data for 185 days. All these plans can be topped up with the Volume Plans packages from above that will be on 4G too, but not with the Day Plans. Exception: 250 MB Volume Plan is only available on 3G. These different by Day Plans are offered for 4G SIM cards with unlimited data: *1 day (= 24 hours): NT$ 100 *30 days (= 720 hours): NT$ 899. Data will be throttled to 5 Mbps having reached 10 GB For activation dial 535, go to a CVS or myfone store. Airport plans Like Chunghwa Telecom they sell at airports and some stores special prepaid SIM cards for short-term users and long-term users, all with real unlimited data on 4G/LTE: Add-on Packages Once you have used up your initial package allowance, you can purchase additional data allowances online. Note that credit added using a voucher can only be used to purchase standard data packages, so you get a lot less for your money than if you directly top-up a promotional data package with a credit card online or in-store. Standard packages: The 30-day unlimited plans work as follows: The NT$ 699 plan offers 20 GB high speed with a 5 Mbps throttle applying after, the NT$ 799 plan is throttled to 21 Mbps, and the NT$ 899 plan is true unlimited. Promotional packages: \* Unlimited promotional package offers only 1 GB high speed, 1 Mbps throttle applies after The difference between the promotional NT$ 899 30 day unlimited plan and the standard plan above is that the "promotional" plan also includes NT$ 899 of on-net call credit. Roaming Taiwan Mobile is the only provider that offers roaming on a prepaid SIM. You must activate voice and data roaming by going to a myfone store with your passport or dialing 188 and speaking to a representative before leaving Taiwan. In most of the world, however, the only roaming available will be inbound SMS. This is enough to check on your SIM to make sure it is still alive, for instance. Outbound SMS and any voice services are only available in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the US. Data roaming is available in those countries, mainland China, and Singapore (bundled with voice minutes usable locally and to call back to Taiwan for the US and Hong Kong), and can be purchased as the following multi-day packs. Note that you must pre-purchase the roaming pack you want to use up to 90 days in advance either online or at a store, then activate it on arrival in the destination country with the provided USSD codes when you are ready to use them. There is no standard data roaming rate, data will simply not function until activation is complete. IMPORTANT: '''Roaming packs can NOT be purchased with a credit balance. They MUST be paid for separately, either at a myfone store with cash or card, or online through the account management portal, then selecting the desired roaming pack. Visa, MasterCard, and JCB are accepted. Note that their roaming partner in China is China Mobile. Refer to the China article for possible compatibility issues with your phone. Elsewhere, they use SoftBank in Japan, SK Telecom in South Korea, CSL in Hong Kong, AIS in Thailand, Singtel in Singapore, and T-Mobile in the United States. '''More info * APN: internet * Website in English: http://english.taiwanmobile.com/english/product/4GPrepaidCard.html * Tourist Website: http://www.taiwanmobile.com/events/airport/prepaidcard/#/en * Check balance: dial *867#. Check data balance: dail *867*100# FarEasTone FarEasTone is the 3rd network in Taiwan. It started in 1998, offers 3G and launched 4G/LTE in 2014 on 700 (B28), 1800 (B3) and 2600 MHz (B7), opened for prepaid. It has good coverage and speeds. Availability Their prepaid card is called “IF” and available for NT$ 350 with the same credit on in their FET stores and outlets. List: FET Stores To select English as your default language, dial 777. After the greeting announcement, press "4" to switch languages. Then press "1" for English. The initial credit of NT$ 350 included in this SIM will be valid for 6 months from the first call you make. Every time you add credit to your account, your account valid period will be extended for 6 months from the date the credit is added. You can check your credit and data balance by texting a message with any content to 1312. You can top up via FET and convenience stores. You can recharge your credit amounts via store service people or kiosk,then dial 777 directly from your mobile phone, and follow the voice instruction. As of now, there are 3 types of credit amounts NT$ 300, NT$ 500, NT$ 1,000 via receipts issued at the stores. Classical reload vouchers exist in NT$ 150 and NT$ 300 with the latter giving a bonus of NT$ 50 4G plans Default rate outside of packages is NT$ 0.0025 / 128 bytes. So use packs. They have multiple packages * 4G/LTE data by days with unlimited data: ** 1 day: NT 100 ** 3 days: NT 300 ** 5 days: NT 500 ** 30 days: NT 899 (throttled to 5 Mbps beyond 10 GB) * 4G/LTE data for 60 days: ** 1.2 GB: NT$ 180 ** 2.2 GB: NT$ 300 ** 5 GB: NT$ 699 ** 8 GB: NT$ 1000 To subscribe dial 777, press 5 and 1 for data by volume packs or 2 for unlimited data by days packages. Or go to FET or convenient stores including 7-Eleven, Family-Mart, OK, Hi-Life to purchase special data reload vouchers. Airport plans Like Chungwha and Taiwan Mobile they also offer tourist plans sold at the airport. These plans for non-Taiwan residents are only available in the FET shop at Taoyuan airport in the arrival hall of terminal 1 (8am - midnight) with unlimited 4G data and some free airtime: More info * No international roaming * APN: internet * Website in English: http://www.fetnet.net/cs/Satellite/eCorporate/ecoPD2_1_1 T STAR '''(Taiwan Star, formerly Vibo) T Star a.k.a. Taiwan Star is Taiwan’s smallest network. It was called Vibo before and has good coverage and reasonable speeds. 4G/LTE is on 900 and 2600 MHz with a 98% coverage in 2015. T Star is however not available yet on some smaller islands, therefore check coverage before choosing: T Star coverage map. '''Airport Plan: Taiwan Card Their Taiwan card for tourists is only available for free from their T-STAR branch at terminals 1 and 2 of Taoyuan International Airport (map). It's only sold to tourists showing two IDs. Its initial validity is 180 days and extended with another 180 days from the moment of recharge. You can top-up these combo packages on 4G/LTE with unlimited data and limited airtime: For more days, you can top-up one of these plans at convenience store chains like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, OK Mart, and Hi-Life or online by credit card. More info * APN: internet * No international roaming possible * Website in English: http://www.tstartel.com/static/twcard/en/index.htm GT Mobile (by APTC) GT Mobile is the brand of Asia Pacific Telecom (APTC) and has been the CDMA network in Taiwan, that was closed down at end of 2017. With 5.5% market share APTC is the 5th ranked mobile operator in the country, The network has been switched over to 4G/LTE now and is available on 3G through free roaming on Taiwan Mobile network as well, but over 90% of the operator’s 1.7 million mobile subscribers are 4G users. Its 4G/LTE is on 700 MHz (B28), 900 MHz (B8) and 2600 MHz in TD-LTE (as B38). Availability In contrary to the other networks, GT Mobile doesn't sell its SIM cards at the airports, you therefore have to go downtown to one of their stores (locator in Chinese ). Initial validity of the SIM card is for 180 days, and each top-up will set the expiry date to 180 days after the reload. Prepaid SIM cards are offered in different starter packs: *4G/LTE NT$ 300 starter pack with NT$ 120 balance, free domestic calls and 1.8 GB of data for 30 days *4G/LTE NT$ 500 starter pack with NT$ 200 balance, free domestic calls and 2.2 GB of data for 30 days In stores in areas where many foreign workers live, 4G Love prepaid packs are available, that cost the same, but offer cheaper IDD rates to some countries. For 4G/LTE calls you need to use their iCall app. 4G plans For the 4G/LTE SIM refill cards are sold with these values: * 1.2 GB for 30 days: NT$ 180 * 1.5 GB plus NT$ 120 call balance for 30 days: NT$ 300 * 2.2 GB for 30 days: NT$ 300 * 2.5 GB plus NT$ 200 call balance for 30 days: NT$ 500 * 5 GB for 90 days: NT$ 699 Travel SIMs While GT Mobile does not offer roaming on its prepaid SIMs for domestic use, they sell a separate lineup of travel SIMs for other countries. None of these SIMs require registration, and they are all one-time-use only (they expire at the end of their validity period and can not be topped up or reactivated). They are available for the following countries: China (including Hong Kong and Macau): * 3 GB high-speed, throttled to 128k after for 168 hours: NT$ 499 * 3 GB high-speed, throttled to 256k after for 7 days: NT$ 520 * 2.5 GB daily for 6 days, throttled to 256k after: NT$ 640 * 50 GB daily, throttled to 256k after in China, 500 MB shared HK+Macau for 6 days: NT$ 690 * 2.5 GB daily for 9 days, throttled to 256k after: NT$ 850 * 50 GB daily, throttled to 256k after in China, 500 MB shared HK+Macau for 9 days: NT$ 940 Japan: * 7 GB high-speed, throttled to 128k after for 168 hours: NT$ 550 * "unlimited" for 6 days: NT$ 599 * "unlimited" for 7 days: NT$ 699 There is no defined usage limit, but SoftBank (for the 6 day SIM) or docomo (for the 7 day SIM) reserve the right to throttle or deprioritize usage on the "unlimited" SIM during times of network congestion. South Korea: True unlimited for 5 days for NT$ 399 Japan and South Korea: 3 GB high-speed, throttled to 128k after for 144 hours for NT$ 350 Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Brunei: 3 GB high-speed, 128kbps after for 192 hours for NT$ 299 EU/EEA (including all French DOM but no other overseas territories), UK, Gibraltar, Switzerland, and Turkey: 8 GB high-speed, throttled to 128k after for 480 hours for NT$ 799 US and Canada: 5 GB high-speed, throttled to 128k after for 288 hours for NT$ 899 SIMs that specify a number of days will expire at 23:59 Taiwan time on the final day. China SIMs all use the China Unicom network, so will work with more phones than Taiwan Mobile's roaming option. More info * for 4G/LTE voice calls the iCall app is required * no international roaming is offered on prepaid SIMs for local use * APN: gtnet * Note that travel SIMs have different APNs, check instructions for your travel SIM for the correct APN * Website in Chinese: https://www.aptg.com.tw ibon mobile by 7-Eleven ibon mobile is the biggest MVNO in the country, sold in around 5000 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan. It operates on the network of FarEasTone, Availability ''' Ibon Mobile SIM cards are available exclusively in about 5,000 7-Eleven stores. The 4G prepaid starter pack is available for NT$ 350. There are 2 tariffs options to choose from: * 1.02 GB data valid for 60 days and NT$ 100 airtime and free on-net calls * 120 hours unlimited data and NT$ 50 airtime and free on-net calls Top-up vouchers are sold at all 7-Eleven stores. They have 9 different voucher cards for voice or data. The 3 for voice and text are for NT$ 50, 300 and 500. The SIM cards are valid for 185 days after last recharge and you cannot load more than NT$ 5000 on the SIM. '''Data feature packs The default rate outside the allowance is NT$ 46 per MB. You have to load data by voucher cards sold at 7-Eleven stores. They are available in following denominations, and you can't combine volume based packages with unlimited packages: * Volume based: ** 1.2 GB for 60 days: NT$ 180 ** 2.2 GB for 60 days: NT$ 300 ** 5 GB for 90 days: NT$ 699 ** 8 GB for 185 days: NT$ 1000 * Day based: ** 1 day, unlimited: NT$ 100 ** 3 days, unlimited: NT$ 300 ** 5 days, unlimited: NT$ 500 ** 30 days, up to 10 GB after that speed throttled to 5 MBps, NT$ 899 More info * No International roaming possible * APN: seven4g /or/ internet * Website in English: http://www.7-11.com.tw/ibonmobile/english1_1.html Free WiFi In Taiwan there are some public WiFi networks available that visitors can use for free while staying in the country close to an hotspot. iTaiwan WiFi The government of Taiwan runs a free WiFi network that now has about 4,400 hotspots in major tourist spots, transportation hubs, cultural establishments and government offices all over the island. You'll need to apply for your iTaiwan account at the iTaiwan online registration system for foreign visitors. Effective use of time is 30 days, if necessary, be extended to 60 days to 90 days. If you want to create an online account the system will send a SMS to your cell phone number outside of Taiwan. Check their website as only certain nationalities can complete the verification via SMS. You can bypass this restriction by either just sending the verification code to a friend back home and getting them to tell you the number, or by sending the code to a virtual number using an app like Hushed. * More info in English: https://itaiwan.taiwan.net.tw/ Taipei Free Public WiFi Access In the capital of Taipei the city runs a free WiFi network in buses, MRT stations and public places. The indoor/outdoor hotspot SSIDs for the Taipei Free wireless network service are “TPE-Free” and “TPE-Free_CHT.” The SSID for affiliate public busses in Taipei is “TPE-Free Bus.” It serves indoor Taipei City Hall, 12 district administration centers, city libraries & branches, Taipei City Hospital & branches, Taipei MRT stations, and Metro malls and outdoors on main streets, main commercial and residential areas and populated public areas. Taipei Free service is applicable to all and is not limited to Taipei citizens; the service is free to all with notebooks, pads, smartphones, or mobile devices within the wireless network coverage. Vistitors can also apply for an account at the airport or visitor centers to take advantage of this service. You can register at several hotels (list), or with many local and overseas mobile numbers shown here. * More info in English: http://www.tpe-free.taipei.gov.tw/tpe/index_en.aspx Category:Asia Category:Country Category:CDMA Category:10/18